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by pmboyd 4427 days ago
The America Heart Association's recommendation is based on multiple randomized control studies (http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/106/21/2747.full#sec-4), none of which are the study in question.
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Well, most of those studies deal specifically with people recovering from a heart attack, not the general population. Those are two very different groups.

The largest study there (MARGARIN) showed pretty much no benifit for ordinary people with no history of MI. There are many mixed results in that summary as well...

Several randomized trials of fish oil were conducted over the past 10 years to test the hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acids could prevent restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Although a meta-analysis of seven early trials concluded that supplementation was beneficial,49 more recent trials (with large study populations given 5 to 7 g/d of omega-3 fatty acids) have not supported this conclusion.50,51 Most investigators have concluded that further trials are not warranted.

The first study to explore the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on angiographic progression rates provided 59 patients either 6 g/d of omega-3 fatty acids or olive oil for 2 years.46 No benefit was observed.

In contrast to the growing body of evidence supporting a protective effect of omega-3 fatty acids in secondary prevention, a recent study reported no effect of 3.5 g/d of DHA+EPA versus corn oil on cardiac events in post-MI patients (n=300) after 1.5 years of intervention.

Far from conclusive.